The newly founded Witness Protection Program Institute (LPSK) has begun talks with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) on reducing punishments for whistle blowers in corruption cases.

"Witness protection includes, among others, identity protection, legal protection and penalty reductions," Abdul Haris Semendawai, head of the LPSK, said after meeting with KPK chief Antasari Ashar on Wednesday.

Abdul Haris said the 2006 law on witness protection stipulated that persons implicated in criminal cases can have their punishments reduced if they provide law enforcement agencies with genuine evidence.

He said the LPSK, which was inaugurated last August, needed to raise awareness of the law and coordinate with law enforcement agencies, including the KPK, which has benefited from the testimonies of implicated witnesses in many corruption cases.

He said the LPSK and the KPK had begun a preliminary discussion on the witness protection program.

The witness protection law was passed two years ago in response to fears witnesses to violent crimes were reluctant to step forward in fear of being mistreated by corrupt law enforcers that had received bribes from defendants.

Abdul said the LPSK would determine in what circumstances a witness or victim should be protected and oversee the protection of witnesses in conjunction with the KPK.